Ecoble: Darkest Dawn
by Arjhint
Summary: Enter Ecoble, a region where new-age technology mixes with ancient history. Despite the years of peace the region has known, Team Prime seeks to end this bliss by awakening the Legendary Guardians of Ecoble. The only things that stand between them and their goal are a shadowy organization and… a NEET?
1. Prologue

**Seeing as how this is the Prologue, I'll keep this first Note brief.**

 **First things first, this story is going to completely revolve around OC characters in a fanmade region. If you're not a fan of such a premise or such characters, there's a good chance you won't enjoy this story.**

 **Secondly, the rate at which this story will be updated is going to vary. I'm aiming for a chapter a week, if not more, but it all depends on how fast I can write, and how often my Betas can look over my work.**

 **Finally, and most importantly, the disclaimer. I don't own Pokemon, and all rights go to the creators. The only things here I** ** _do_ ****own are the OC's, the Ecoble region, and the Fakemon.**

 **Now then… let's get this show on the road.**

* * *

 **Prologue:** Stargazing

* * *

The night of a new moon meant many things in Ecoble.

To some, it signified a period of time in which the realm of the dead intersected with the realm of the living. To others, it was a sign of change, though the meaning of said change tended to vary from one person to another.

However, the one thing that almost every citizen of Ecoble could agree upon when it came to a new moon, was that it meant a beautiful night for stargazing.

/-/

To that end, most people within southern Ecoble that had access to a Flying-Type Pokemon would flock to the Starsea Cliffs on nights of a new moon. Given that the Cliffs offered not only a breathtaking view of the heavens _and_ sea, but had a naturally fair climate, people from other parts of the land would sometimes make their way south simply to stargaze. The only other location within Ecoble that could rival the Cliffs was the peak of Mount Celestia, but given the freezing temperatures of the mountain at night, only those that lived within the nearby and neighbouring cities would brave the cold to stargaze. As such, the Starsea Cliffs endured as Ecoble's most popular stargazing destination.

With a clear sky and a new moon hanging above, the Cliffs should have been packed with stargazers. However, tonight was different, as the normally bustling grounds of the cliffside were absent of visitors. It may have been due to the cooler spring temperatures, or perhaps the cold coastal winds.

Either way, the lone visitor to the cliffs didn't seem to be fazed as he gazed at the heavens above.

/-/

Despite the chill winds that were blowing, the Visitor kept his jacket open, the edges of it rippling alongside his copper hair in the salty breeze. While the presence of the black scarf wrapped around his neck may have suggested that he was cold, not a single goosebump could be seen upon the limited flesh that was exposed. In fact, he almost seemed to relish the wind, as though it were the only thing keeping him awake at the moment.

As the wind gusted, the man yawned and stretched, causing his shirt to move up ever so slightly, revealing the Pokeballs upon his waist. While most Trainers limited themselves to carrying six Pokemon at a time, there was no official rule stating that six Pokemon were all you could carry. The Visitor seemed to take that rule to heart, as dozens of Pokeballs sat alongside his belt. However, the fact that none of them were in their deployed size suggested that none of their inhabitants were out with their master at the moment. Instead he stood alone, a single arm bracing himself against the fence that blocked him from the edge of the Cliffs, and the ocean below.

Several minutes passed, and the Visitor didn't move an inch. His gaze was focused intently on the panorama above, his grey eyes roving almost hungrily over each star, as if he wished for nothing more than to join them in the heavens above. Despite this, the hidden smile upon his lips suggested he was simply lost in thought, rather than fervently wishing to soar into the atmosphere. As minutes continued to tick by, he began to hum a soft melody to himself, a song that harkened to a land far across the sea. However, the sudden buzz of his phone immediately put an end to his song, and the smile upon his face.

/-/

With a sigh, the Visitor flipped his phone out of his pocket in a single, long practiced movement, before laying it flat in his hand. He then detached a small earpiece from one of its upper corners and fitted said piece into his right ear, testing it afterwards to ensure that it wouldn't fall out. Satisfied with his handiwork, the Visitor then dragged a pulsing green icon across the surface of the phone, ending it's buzzing. A moment later, a hologram of an old, but weathered man sitting on a chair appeared within the palm of his hand.

"Evening Tobias" the Visitor said, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Tobias sighed, rubbing his temple as though he had a headache. "Don't give me your sass lad. You _know_ why I'm calling you".

The Visitor rolled his eyes before replying. "Look, if this is about that meeting today, you really can't blame me for skipping out on it. I mean for Arceus' sake, the last meeting that was held was about negotiations with Kalos of all places, and you hardly needed me there for that."

Before the Visitor could continue, Tobias quickly cut him off with a stern look. "The topics we cover at each meeting aren't what truly matter here. What matters is your presence, because like it or not, amongst the responsibilities that come with the position you hold, is the task of supplying the Council with your opinions. Both the Council _and_ the public value what you think in terms of the work that needs to be done, despite the fact that several of us are starting to devalue _you_."

Tobias steepled his hands in front of his face and leaned back in his chair before continuing. "You know that I hate to get after you lad, but I really don't have a choice anymore. Some of us are calling for you to be removed from your position, and while there are just as many of us that defend you, even the public has started to take notice of your absences. You cannot keep running from your responsibilities, no matter how much they may bore you. You understand this, correct?"

The Visitor's cold eyes narrowed upon the hologram in front of him. "I do understand Tobias" he began, "And that's why my time playing hooky is spent accomplishing things that nobody else within this region would ever consider doing. While I realize that the majority of the Council remains in the dark about my activities, you seem to constantly forget that the time I 'take off' isn't spent doing nothing. Rather than sitting around a table for hours on end _talking_ about Ecoble's future, my allies and I _fight_ for it instead".

Silence followed the Visitor's words as he stared Tobias down. Despite the intense gaze upon him, Tobias kept his own eyes shut, nodding along to whatever thoughts might have been running through his head. However, upon reopening them, Tobias met the younger man's stare with an even gaze of his own.

"I haven't forgotten about your decision, my boy. While I cannot fully condone your actions, you've nonetheless produced more results than the rest of the Council have over the last few years, and I applaud you for that. Your dedication to Ecoble is admirable, and I truly wish you could reveal the fruits of your labor to everyone else. However, I realize that doing so would put you in an awkward spot, in more ways than one. As such, you can continue trusting me to keep your secret. With that being said, you are still a member of the Council, and you need to start acting like one."

Following his words, Tobias leaned forward, drawing the Visitor's gaze even deeper into his own. "And though I realize that I might be coming off as a nagging old fart at the moment, just remember one thing. I _do_ care about you lad; you and your group. While I know that you're all capable of handling yourselves, just be careful not to push yourselves too hard. This old man still worries about you, even if you might snap at me when I try to give you advice."

The Visitor flushed darkly and glanced away, like a child after receiving a scolding from their parent. His embarrassment only lasted a few seconds though, and upon looking back at the hologram, he re-met Tobias' gaze and nodded. " Thank you, and I know. While I can't say that I'll immediately start showing up for meetings, I'll try and schedule my activities for days that won't conflict with them."

As Tobias nodded in approval, the younger man continued. "And in regards to my group, I'm trying to keep them out of the heavy lifting as best as I can. I don't need the rest of them getting injured or killed while out in the field, especially not your own grandson. I can't imagine that you, Tomas or Tywin would still back me up if your own flesh and blood got injured while doing my dirty work."

Tobias smiled, his features softening for a moment at the younger man's words. However, they returned to normal a moment later as he said "That reminds me, your group got brought up at the meeting today."

A flash of emotion shot through the Visitor's eyes, which Tobias took note of. "Really now? How was it that we got brought up?" the Visitor asked evenly.

Tobias mused for a moment before responding "We were talking about the situation involving the Syndicate in Yorkstone when your group's name was mentioned."

The Visitor nodded, his face grim. "Who was it that mentioned us?"

"Frederic" Tobias replied, "Apparently he had heard about your group from a friend of his on the Yorkstone police force, though he never mentioned how that friend of his got ahold of that information."

"Keep your eye on him for me over the next little while. It looks like I'll have to pay Yorkstone a visit tomorrow and do some investigating myself."

Tobias raised a single eyebrow in question, but gave a curt nod nonetheless. As the Visitor sighed, Tobias peered at the area behind the younger man and asked "Are you at Starsea right now?"

The Visitor smiled, despite the uneasiness that had settled within himself. "Good observation, and yes I'm at the Cliffs. Tonight _is_ a new moon after all, and it's been a while since I took a bit of time to appreciate the stars. Besides, after today's events, I feel as if I deserve a little bit of downtime."

Tobias' face darkened immediately. "What happened today?" he asked sharply.

The Visitor's smile faded instantly at Tobias' question. Quickly taking a brief glance over his shoulders, his eyes scanned the treeline behind him for anything out of the ordinary. Seeing nothing, he shifted his gaze back onto Tobias before drawing his phone closer and reaching for one of the Pokeballs at his belt. A moment later a Mismagius appeared in a burst of light, hovering in the air next to her master. "Hecate, scout" the Visitor murmured to the Ghost Pokemon, never taking his eyes off his phone.

Hecate gave a single nod before vanishing into thin air, leaving the Visitor alone once more. Seconds passed in silence as both men awaited a sign from the Pokemon. When a single shriek echoed through the night, the Visitor turned to the forest and nodded before shifting his focus back to Tobias. Between barely parted lips, he muttered a single name to the older man before him.

"Shamiram".

Tobias visibly shivered, the name resonating with him in a familiar, but unpleasant manner. "She made an appearance then?" he asked worriedly.

"Not in the flesh. She sent an apprentice of hers after me instead" the Visitor replied.

Tobias gave a quick exhale of relief before muttering "That explains why you're still in one piece. Still, I'd like to know what happened."

The Visitor sighed, rubbing his temple. "I was flying between Grennight and Twilight Lake when he struck. To be honest, I would've been done for right then and there if not for Boros."

Tobias' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He intercepted the attack?"

The Visitor chuckled grimly before answering. "Intercepted _and_ counterattacked. Knocked the guy right off his Mandibuzz with a single Shadow Ball. I'd have loved to have seen the look on his face as my shadow literally came to life, but he fell too fast for me to catch any reaction from him. Only problem was, his Mandibuzz wasn't too happy with Boros and I, and it launched a Dark Pulse that we couldn't avoid."

Tobias winced as the Visitor continued. "Mitsurugi managed to shrug off the attack, but Boros shielded me from the blow, taking the full damage himself. Despite the difference in strength and experience, Boros still got hit hard, and I had to recall him before that Mandibuzz could attack again."

"Where is he now?" Tobias asked out of concern for the Pokemon's wellbeing.

"Left him in Kekai's hands to recover. I have yet to hear from him, but I'm willing to bet that Boros is back to full strength by now."

"Good to hear" Tobias said with a smile, "What about the Mandibuzz and it's Trainer though?"

The Visitor grinned darkly at Tobias' words. "I sent Kessler out and he shot that Mandibuzz straight out of the sky. As for it's Trainer, I took a look around the marshes afterwards and managed to find his body. He had nothing of value on him aside from a knife, but considering that it was an ordinary one that you could buy anywhere, I left both it and the body where they lay. Nature will look after his burial for me."

Tobias nodded grimly. "At least you're fine" he said before standing up, "In any case, I must be off. I haven't eaten since this meeting, and Tywin was hoping to grab a bite with me. I'll let you know if your group gets brought up again, and I'll keep my eye on Frederic for you, though I will say this. You could keep a better eye on him if you attended the meetings yourself.

The Visitor grinned at Tobias' advice. "Oh don't worry old timer, I'll be at the next meeting for sure. I actually have a good reason to attend now, thanks to you".

Tobias sighed at the younger man's words, but said nothing back to rebuke him. "If that's what it takes, then so be it. I'll talk to you la-"

The sound of two shrieks emanating from the trees cut Tobias off mid sentence. He saw the Visitor whirl his head around to face the woods, but before he could say a word, he heard a faint voice exclaim "Oh!" from somewhere that he couldn't see.

"Lad?" Tobias inquired, "What's going on?"

The Visitor turned his head back around, staring at Tobias with an amused smile. "It's nothing to worry about" he said.

"Rather, it would appear that I've got stargazers here".

* * *

 **A couple of things to mention before ending it off here.**

 **This story was inspired by the fanfic "Valence" by Yamiruss, which is another story about OC characters in a fanmade region. I highly recommend checking it out if you're a fan of this type of story, as it's both one hell of a ride and well written. There's a link to it in my bio under my Favorite Stories tab.**

 **Now then, onto something about this chapter. You may have noticed that the Visitor called each of his Pokemon by a nickname, rather than the name of their species. This is something that's going to occur with a select few individuals within this story. While I realize that I didn't expand on all of the Pokemon that he brought up in this chapter, said Pokemon will be making appearances later on.**

 **In order to give each nicknamed Pokemon a little more depth, I'll be including some information on them in the Notes at the ends of each chapter. This info will go over their species, the Trainer that they belong to, their nicknames, and the origins of said nicknames. If you're interested, feel free to read on.**

 **With all that being said, hope you enjoyed, and maybe I'll see you next chapter.**

* * *

 **Mismagius:  
** Trainer: The Visitor  
Nickname: Hecate-Greek Goddess of witchcraft, magic, ghosts, etc.

 **Gengar:  
** Trainer: The Visitor  
Nickname: Boros-AKA Lord Boros, leader of the Dark Matter Thieves from One-Punch Man


	2. Chapter 1

**Before I start the story off, there's something that I should bring up as a warning. The first four chapters of this story will all take place within the starting town, meaning the mc won't be starting his journey into the region until chapter 5. While this may cause some people to lose interest in the story, this is solely for the sake of character development, which is going to play a large role within this tale.**

 **With that being said, let's start the show.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1:** The Beginning

* * *

"Kyle! Melissa's bedside!"

Kyle blinked in confusion at his mother's sudden shout from downstairs, breaking his focus from the stream he was watching. Glossing over his phone's lock screen, which was rife with notifications, he groaned and rubbed his tired eyes before removing his headset. However, the sudden scream that emanated from it caused him to smile at the familiar sound, and glance back at his monitor. Within the corner of the screen was the streamer, Zach, who was yelling for his team to come and save him, before he was ruthlessly ambushed and killed by the enemy team. "I guess I'll just die then" Zach said with a roll of his eyes.

Kyle chuckled at the familiar sarcasm before his eyes were drawn away from the gameplay, and onto the Pokemon that suddenly appeared on stream. It was an Artaceon, the Bug-Type evolution of Eevee. Due to his ownership of the Bug Pokemon, as well as his tendency of falling prey to glitches and bugs in-game, Zach had earned the nickname of "Bug-Catcher" by his fans. Zach had taken a liking to his nickname, and often branded himself as the internet's "Number 1 Bug-Catcher", which greatly amused Kyle.

Seeing the Artaceon fly into Zach's lap, causing him to splutter from a faceful of fur, stirred something within Kyle. Frowning, he glanced at his stomach, as if expecting it to somehow explain the sensation. As expected, it remained silent. It wasn't the first time he'd felt that way, and it seemed to happen most when Zach's Artaceon appeared on stream. To that end, Kyle deduced that he must've had some repressed dislike or fear of the Bug Pokemon, and payed the feeling no more attention than he would a yawn.

As his phone buzzed yet again, Kyle ignored it and stepped away from his desk before opening his bedroom door. "Did you call me?", Kyle shouted down the stairs.

"Yes!" came his mother's reply, "But I don't want to keep shouting, so can you come down here for a second?"

Kyle sighed, having his hope of keeping the conversation short and sweet shot down. Crossing the threshold of his room, Kyle took one last glance at his computer before heading down the stairs.

His eyes were met with a glimpse of Zach and his Artaceon, cuddling in their chair.

/-/

As he hopped down the last stair, Kyle heard his mother ask "Do you really need to have your headset volume set so high? I called you three times before you answered".

Kyle shrugged in his usual "apologetic" manner as he stepped into the living room. "Sorry, Zach started screaming again so I guess I missed your earlier calls".

Kyle's mother, Isabelle, raised a single eyebrow in response to her son's answer. "He was screaming for two full minutes?" she questioned, an amused smile upon her face.

Kyle merely gave a sheepish grin as he raised his arms in surrender. "Uhhh… yes?"

Isabelle sighed, but retained her smile. "What are your father and I going to do with you?" she questioned as she made her way over to the living room.

"Where is dad anyways? And why are you dressed up?" Kyle asked as his mother grabbed a set of keys off the table.

"Your father's over at Ozmond's place" Isabelle explained as she strode over to the kitchen, "The Sakura's are having a get-together tonight, and your father and I were invited. We were going to tell you about this earlier, but you've been cooped up in your room all day."

As Kyle nodded in understanding, Isabelle continued. "In any case, I have to leave before your father starts to worry again. You know how he can get, especially after he's had a bit to drink".

Kyle chuckled as memories of his father's "worried episodes" (as Isabelle called them) came flooding back to him. However, his laughter was cut short as his mother lifted a large, chocolate ice cream cake out of the freezer. He felt his eyes widen in excitement at the sight of the confection, but when Isabelle turned around and saw him, Kyle's hopes came crashing down as she shook her head. "Sorry kiddo, this isn't for you. Your father and I felt we should bring something over to Ozmond's as thanks for inviting us".

"Not even a slice?" Kyle glumly asked, his eyes still hovering over the cake.

"Nope" Isabelle chirped back as she made her way back to the front door, "Maybe if there's some left over I'll bring it home, but only if Joan or Ozmond don't want it."

Sighing, Kyle sadly watched as the frozen dessert was set down at his mother's feet. As Isabelle put on her shoes, she glanced up at Kyle and said "Dinner's in the fridge if you get hungry, and you don't have to worry about the laundry since I finished it earlier."

Muttering a half-hearted thank you, Kyle barely heard his mother's familiar words over his own thoughts.

"As usual, give us a call if anything comes up. I'll have my phone on all night, just in case your father doesn't."

"Alright" Kyle said as Isabelle opened the door to leave, "One last thing, what did you shout at me before I came downstairs?"

Isabelle smiled as she opened the door wider, revealing the young woman that stood outside. "I said "Alissa's outside", she replied, as the crimson-haired girl in question perked up at the sight of Kyle.

Turning to face Alissa, Isabelle said "Sorry about the wait, but you know you could've just come inside instead of standing out here, right?"

Alissa smiled politely as she shook her head. "It's too gorgeous of an evening to spend it indoors" she answered, gesturing to the scenery around her, "Besides, if he hadn't come down to the door himself, I would've started throwing pebbles at his window".

Isabelle laughed at Alissa's response. "Smart girl! But I doubt that Kyle would have heard the rocks against his window over "Zach's screaming".

Both women laughed at the familiar line, even as Kyle cringed in the background. "Anyways, I've got to get this cake to Ozmond's before it melts! You kids have fun tonight!" Isabelle sang as she sped off down the street.

"Bye Mrs. Valen!" Alissa shouted as she watched the woman disappear around the streetcorner, "Your mom's pretty energetic huh?"

"That's one way to put it" Kyle muttered as he took in the sight of his childhood friend.

Having grown up with Alissa, Kyle had long grown used to seeing her around his house. They had walked to school together, played games in the woods, and even slept at each other's houses. However, as they started getting older, Kyle started _noticing_ things about Alissa that he hadn't paid any attention to before. The way her hair shimmered in the sunlight, the way her smile brightened the room… Kyle started noticing all these things and more. Eventually, he had started to avoid Alissa, in order to avoid seeming awkward in front of her.

It wasn't until Kyle's father suggested that Alissa may be more than a friend, that Kyle realized he was slowly developing a crush on her. With that knowledge in mind, Kyle immediately sought Alissa out, intent on apologizing for avoiding her. While she had initially been somewhat hurt, it hadn't taken much to earn her forgiveness, though Kyle still remembered the feeling of being put into a headlock as punishment.

Shuddering at the terrifying memory, Kyle found his eyes unwittingly drawn to Alissa's body. It had only been a week or so since they'd last seen each other, but in Kyle's mind, a week without seeing Alissa was more akin to a month. Fortunately for Kyle, Alissa hadn't changed at all since their last encounter, though he was somewhat frustrated to see he was still an inch or so shorter than her. Sighing at the hopelessness of his own height, Kyle realized that his gaze had been glued to Alissa's thighs for the past minute or so, and he quickly shook his head to free his eyes from the mesmerizing sight.

Unable to get the image of her tanned legs off his mind, Kyle snapped his sights back onto Alissa's eyes, hoping to rid himself of the perverse thoughts. However, much to his horror, Alissa was staring straight at Kyle, a grin stretched across her face. "See something you like?" she asked casually as she struck a pose.

"I uhhhh…" Kyle sputtered as his panicking brain failed to assist him. Before he could vomit out another response, the sound of Alissa's laughter broke him out of his hormone-induced quagmire.

"You should've seen the look on your face!" Alissa cried, clutching her sides in laughter.

Gritting his teeth at the mockery, Kyle grumbled "Yeah, yeah, you caught me. Laugh it up".

"Oh don't be such a grouch" Alissa mirthed as she stretched her arm around Kyle's shoulders, "It's just a joke, it's not like I haven't teased you before".

Kyle's head was suddenly filled with memories of Alissa showing off a _little_ more than usual around him. Groaning at the sudden flashbacks, and wishing for all the world that he had better control of his hormones, Kyle shook off her arm and asked "What are you doing outside my house anyways?"

Wiping her eyes dry of tears, Alissa smiled and said "I'm here to collect you! Monty and I are going stargazing, and we wanted you to come with us! Didn't you get my texts?"

The cold sensation of being caught between a rock and a hard place crawled down Kyle's back. Torn between telling her the truth that he'd ignored his phone, or lying to one of his closest friends, Kyle decided upon the former rather than the latter. "Sorry, no I didn't. I was watching Zach's stream and didn't hear it buzzing at all. The only thing I heard was mom yelling at me from downstairs, so I left my room without looking at it. My bad".

For the second time that night, Kyle found himself staring down the questioning eyebrow of a woman. However, unlike earlier when he was stared down by his mother, Kyle knew that his safety was at risk if he gave Alissa another unsatisfactory answer. With the pressure of her doubtful gaze building, Kyle opened his mouth to respond and relieve himself of the intensity, but Alissa beat him to the punch.

"Oh? So I guess Zach's stream is more important than me, huh? That kinda hurts Kyle, knowing that you don't care about the messages I send you".

Kyle froze up, unsure of what to say in response to Alissa's sudden pout. From somewhere deep within his mind, he heard a booming voice shouting "It's a trap!".

Knowing that his next answer was the difference between life and death, Kyle quickly formulated an answer he hoped would shake Alissa off his tail for the time being.

"No, no, no, it's not like that at all!" he quickly stammered, "I just had my volume set really high, and between watching Zach's stream and doing a bit of research, I didn't have any opportunities to glance at my messages!"

Upon hearing Kyle's response, Alissa's doubtful gaze switched to one of surprise, then to one of suspicion. "Doing research on what?" she asked, her eyebrow now reaching an even more dangerous height than before.

Uttering a swift mental prayer to Arceus above, Kyle shakily replied "Pokemon! What else would I be researching now that school's over with?"

With that single answer, Alissa's suspicion vanished instantly, and was replaced by joy. Grabbing Kyle's hands in hers, Alissa pulled the boy closer to her and exclaimed "Pokemon?! You mean for our journey through Ecoble?!".

"Uhh... yeah exactly! For our journey!" Kyle laughed nervously, wary of how close Alissa had suddenly become to him.

Having not noticed his uneasiness, Alissa squealed in delight at Kyle's words before enveloping him in a sudden embrace. "I'm so happy to hear that you're as excited about our journey as Monty and I!" Alissa sang, ignoring the strangled half-shout that emerged from Kyle's mouth.

Trapped by Alissa's iron hold, Kyle could only squirm as she squeezed him tighter, desperately trying to refrain himself from thinking about the two soft bulges that were steadily being pressed tighter and tighter against him. "A...liss...a" Kyle gasped as he was slowly crushed against her.

Suddenly, Kyle felt himself freed from Alissa's hug, only to fall over a second later. Gasping for air as he slowly picked himself off the ground, Kyle glanced at his friend, only to see her pleading expression as she looked at him in concern. "I'm so sorry!" she cried out, hands clenched together, "I got so excited about our journey that I got carried away! Are you all right?!"

"Just dandy" Kyle muttered as he dusted himself off, evading Alissa's worrying gaze. "I've gotta say though, your hugs sure are something".

In an instant, Alissa's worried expression cleared up, and was replaced by a smile. "Considering how many others have said the same to me, I'm glad to see you're among them".

Kyle grinned at her cheer, amazed at how quickly her worries could dissipate. "Is Monty one of those people as well?" he asked.

To his surprise, Alissa flushed at his words, briefly looking away while she hummed a distracting tune to herself. "No he's never mentioned anything about them" she replied, fanning herself with a single hand as her cheeks went back to normal.

Kyle raised his own eyebrow at her sudden nervousness. However, when she remained silent, he shook his head and asked "So stargazing with you and Monty huh?"

"Mm-hmm" Alissa responded, turning to face him once more, "This is the first time the three of us have been free to meet since our exams. We'd love if you came with us tonight".

Kyle scratched his head in uncertainty. While he didn't want to disappoint his friends, he had been hoping to spend his evening alone watching Zach's stream, rather than stargazing at the Starsea Cliffs. That being said, upon seeing Alissa's reaction to his question about Monty, Kyle felt a sudden urge to join them. " _Not going tonight might just raise problems for me later on, and if that's the case…_ "

"Well… if you guys are really adamant about me coming, then I guess I've got no choice huh?" Kyle answered with a wry smile.

Alissa cheered at his response, not catching the defeat within his voice. "Awesome! I'll let you grab your stuff then, alright? I'm going to head back to Monty's place, so meet me there and the three of us will head out, okay?"

"Sounds good" said Kyle, giving Alissa a thumbs up.

With an excited grin on her face, Alissa turned and ran down the street, leaving Kyle to sigh and trudge back inside the house. Upon entering his bedroom, Kyle glanced at his monitor, only to see that it had entered sleep mode. " _Guess I lost track of time_ " he thought to himself, grabbing his jacket and a pair of jeans from the closet.

Once he had finished changing, Kyle grabbed his phone from his desk and took a brief glance around the room to make sure that he wasn't forgetting anything. Satisfied with his check, Kyle strode down the stairs and slipped his shoes on, making sure to leave the living room lights on. Satisfied that he wouldn't be coming home to a dark house, Kyle slipped out the door and locked it behind him. "Showtime", he muttered to himself, as he headed down the darkening streets of Dawneo Town.

/-/

Dusk had fallen by the time Kyle made his way onto Dawneo's main street. Knowing he still had a ways to go before making it to Monty's, Kyle flipped his hood up and fixed his gaze on the ground before continuing his walk. People brushed past him as he made his way down the sidewalk, each of them appearing to be heading home for the night. " _As long as they're focused on that, they won't be focused on me_ " Kyle thought to himself, briefly glancing at the retreating backsides of the last group to pass by.

Dawneo wasn't a big town, and as a result, everyone that lived within its boundaries knew each other by name. While most of the townspeople enjoyed saying hello to their neighbours, Kyle was among the few that felt otherwise. Due to this, he always made sure to keep his head low whenever he left the house, lest he be called out amongst the crowd.

It didn't help that many of the townsfolk seemed to take an unusual interest in him, most likely due to his lifestyle as a NEET. Despite being rather active and outgoing as a child, Kyle had slowly distanced himself from that lifestyle as he grew older, and more interested in the online world. Eventually, the loud and curious child that the townsfolk had come to know had vanished, only to be replaced with an antisocial teenager who would only leave his room to go to school. This stark change seemed to bother some of the residents, and it was these people that always made an effort to call the young man out whenever possible.

" _Just because I don't leave my room often doesn't mean I'm lonely and need attention_ " Kyle mentally groused, speeding down the sidewalk, " _Talk about a pain in the ass.._ "

As one of the nearby stallkeepers scanned the crowd for last minute shoppers, Kyle ducked his head to avoid being spotted. If even one person managed to single him out amongst the others on the sidewalk, he ran the risk of being dragged into conversation, potentially with multiple people. Shuddering at the possibility, Kyle pulled his hood even further over his head. He knew it wouldn't make much difference, but he hoped it would send a "don't talk to me" vibe to whomever might spot him. However, upon slipping around one of the stalls lining the street, Kyle's hopes were dashed for a third time that night. "Hello Kyle!" a woman's voice rang out, "Nice to see you out and about on a night like this!"

"Nice to see you too Ms. Morris" Kyle lied as he awkwardly waved back to the cheerful young woman.

Ms. Morris had been his homeroom teacher for his final school years. She was among the handful of people in Dawneo that seemed unusually perturbed about his transition into a shut-in. Kyle could recall numerous conversations between the two of them, with each one revolving around how life was more enjoyable when spent with others. He had always smiled and agreed with her, promising to spend more time with his friends, though he had never followed up on his promises. Kyle just hadn't seen a point in changing his lifestyle for the sake of a few superficial woes.

Watching pack up the last of her vendor wares for the day, Kyle thought to himself " _It's not like I was ever avoiding Monty or Alissa_. _But everything they had wanted to do outside of school was always related to Pokemon in some kind of way, and well…_ "

Kyle's thought trailed off as he came face to face with his biggest dilemma: Pokemon. Despite having dreamt of becoming Ecoble's next Champion when he was younger, Kyle's childhood dream had dwindled as his interest in online gaming had grown. Nowadays, the closest interactions that Kyle had with Pokemon were when he visited Monty's house. However, both Alissa and Monty still believed that Kyle continued to harbor his old dream of becoming Champion, which made conversations about their three-person journey through Ecoble extremely awkward. " _I know I'll need to tell them eventually, but today isn't the day"_ Kyle sighed, rounding a street corner in the process. " _At least our parents still haven't given us permission to leave on 'our' journey yet_ ".

Stepping foot onto the new street, Kyle's attention was drawn to the large, modern building that lay at its end. The building dwarfed the nearby houses, it's sleek, white walls a stark contrast to the dark siding that coated every house. As if it didn't stand out enough already, the massive sign present over it's front entrance shone as brightly as a streetlamp, casting a bright glow onto the pavement. Even from the street's other end, Kyle could easily make out the building's name:

Sakura Pokemon Research Lab.

With his mouth set in a firm line, Kyle began making his way towards the building, knowing his friends were waiting within. "Time to see whether tonight will really be worth my time" Kyle muttered as he drew closer, his shadow lengthening on the ground as he was cast into the light of the laboratory's sign.

Perhaps if Kyle hadn't been so engrossed in his thoughts, or the lab's light hadn't been so blinding, he would've noticed the shadow of a large bird Pokemon passing overhead, as it flew straight for the Morleaf Woods.

And beyond that, the Starsea Cliffs.

* * *

 **Who could that be, I wonder?**

 **Anyways, the mc makes his grand appearance, alongside one of his rivals. For anyone that's concerned about Alissa being yet another "friendly rival" (e.g. Shauna, Hau, etc), you have no reason to fear. I can guarantee the appearance of at least one rival that's akin to Blue or Silver that will be making an appearance within a future chapter. I'm not too big on the friendly rival concept, since I feel like they defeat the purpose of being called "rivals". I'd take Silver as my rival any day over having Tierno with that role…**

 **Speaking of personalities, I'm aiming to make Kyle feel like a different sort of protagonist. I don't want to say too much about him right now, but my eventual goal for Kyle is to create a character who is likeable, while also possessing some less-than desirable traits. I have several plans for his development over the course of the story, so hopefully, those of you that are reading this will stick around to witness it.**

 **In any case, the next chapter _should_ be uploaded sometime next week.**


End file.
